Chapter 83 A Little Knowledge of Martial Arts
Luo Chengzhi said affectionately to Qin Jinzhi, "Third Brother, are you leaving again this time you're back?"
Qin Jinzhi handed him a box and smiled, "You won't leave until you become the top scholar in the imperial examination."
Luo Chengzhi asked with a look of surprise, "A gift for me?"
He opened the box, and inside was a jade-green inkstone, elegant and rare, as clear and lustrous as jade.
Qin Jinzhi said, "This is the Zhao inkstone. When you breathe on it, water droplets will appear. It releases ink quickly without damaging the brush, and it can store ink for a long time without drying out. Many scholars who used this Zhao inkstone passed the imperial examination. It is also known as the Zhuangyuan inkstone. I am giving this inkstone to you, wishing you to be the top scholar next year!"
"Thank you, Third Brother!"
Luo Chengzhi was overjoyed, not because the inkstone was valuable, but because his third brother had such high expectations for him.
Qin Jinzhi sent Luo Chengzhi back to the house that Luo Xiangfu had prepared for him in southern Beijing.
It's not big, but it's clearly been carefully taken care of.
There was an old steward, a cook, a servant boy, and a maid in the house.
Qin Jinzhi entered the courtyard.
A young maidservant exclaimed with delight, "Third Young Master! You've returned to the capital!"
Qin Jinzhi smiled and said, "Xiao Tao is a young lady now."
Xiao Tao was overjoyed. "Third Young Master, you're finally back! He's been talking about you so much these past three years. Please have dinner here today! I'll have Aunt Qi make your favorite Cizhou stir-fry!"
Qin Jinzhi nodded and replied, "Okay."
Luo Chengzhi pulled Qin Jinzhi to the backyard.
The backyard was quite different from the elegant front hall; it had been transformed into a small martial arts training ground.
He asked Qin Jinzhi to sit to one side.
Then, with an air of grandeur, he took a bow from the shelf beside him, aimed it at Qin Jinzhi, and drew it to its full extent!
Luo Chengzhi, looking expectant of praise, said, "Third Brother! I can now draw a bow with a draw weight of one stone!"
Qin Jinzhi nodded, "At least you didn't slack off."
One stone weighs approximately 120 jin (about 60 kg). To be able to draw it, one would need to draw the bow 300 times a day for at least three years and still be able to do it so easily.
She walked to the bow rack and picked up the two stone bows on it.
He drew an arrow from his quiver and aimed it at the target in the distance.
The bow was instantly drawn to its full extent, and with a whoosh, it struck the target.
"Starting today, you will draw the bow five hundred times every day until you can draw a two-stone bow!"
Luo Chengzhi looked at Qin Jinzhi with admiration, but asked with some doubt, "Third Brother, I'm not going to take the martial arts exam, so why do you still want me to learn martial arts, horseback riding, archery, and other such things?"
Qin Jinzhi put the bow back on the rack. "Do you think there are more good people or bad people in this world?"
Luo Chengzhi laughed and said, "Of course there are more good people than bad."
Qin Jinzhi turned to look at him. "If one day you really step into the imperial court and discover a shocking miscarriage of justice, but the mastermind is a high-ranking official, would you expose him?"
Luo Chengzhi's expression turned serious. "That's for sure. If I were to enter the court, I would certainly clean up the administration and not be afraid of any difficulties. If there is any injustice, no matter how high-ranking the official is, I will definitely eliminate this cancer in the court!"
"What if a high-ranking official sends someone to kill you?"
Luo Chengzhi suddenly realized, "I understand, Third Brother. You want me to be able to protect myself when I'm in danger."
Qin Jinzhi tapped his head, "It's so that you can escape quickly when you're in danger! If you lose your life, everything else is meaningless."
Luo Chengzhi rubbed his head. "Then why don't I learn lightness skill?"
"Because lightness skills can't cure fools. Once you enter the imperial court, you'll find that there are so many fools in the world. When you can't reason with a fool, you can tell him that you know a little bit about martial arts."
"I understand, Third Brother. I will study hard."
Luo Chengzhi greatly admired Qin Jinzhi, even though she was only two years older than him, she seemed to know everything!
He can guide you in both academics and martial arts!
He is the person he admires most in the world.
Qin Jinzhi checked Luo Chengzhi's other homework and was fairly satisfied.
After the two finished their meal, Qin Jinzhi followed Luo Chengzhi to a small ancestral hall.
There was a memorial tablet inside, but strangely, there were no words on it.
Luo Chengzhi offered Qin Jinzhi some incense.
"Father, Third Brother has come to pay his respects to you."
Qin Jinzhi accepted the incense and respectfully bowed three times.
Her eyes held a dark undercurrent.
After offering incense, she said, "Study hard and learn martial arts well. Your third brother will come to see you again in some time."
Luo Chengzhi reluctantly lowered his head and followed Qin Jinzhi out of the house.
"Let's go back."
Luo Chengzhi asked cautiously, "Third Brother, when will you come to see me again? Can I come to you when I miss you?"
Third Brother is good in every way, but he never lets him visit him.
To this day, he doesn't even know where his third brother lives.
Seeing his dejected appearance, Qin Jinzhi thought for a moment, then took off the jade pendant from her waist and handed it to him.
“I am now working at the Zhenbei Prince’s Mansion. If you need anything, take this jade to the Zhenbei Prince’s Mansion and find Qin San. I will come out to see you.”
Luo Chengzhi visibly cheered, "I won't bother your third brother unnecessarily, you must come to see me often!"
Qin Jinzhi smiled and said, "Let's go back."
Luo Chengzhi returned to the house with a smile on his face, holding the jade pendant.
With a worried look on her face, Madam Qi asked Luo Chengzhi, "Young Master, was the Third Young Master angry when he left?"
Luo Chengzhi looked puzzled. "No, what's wrong?"
Madam Qi said somewhat ashamedly, "Today, when I heard that the Third Young Master had returned, I prepared Cizhou stir-fry for him. However, I was so happy that I didn't put any salt in the dish. Will the Third Young Master think that I deliberately neglected him?"
Luo Chengzhi looked bewildered. Although he was born in Cizhou, he didn't like Cizhou cuisine; his third brother preferred it.
Therefore, today's Cizhou stir-fry is all placed in front of Qin Jinzhi.
"No way, I saw Third Brother use quite a lot!"
Madam Qi felt even more ashamed. "It must be because the Third Young Master is concerned about my reputation. When the Third Young Master comes again next time, I will definitely come to apologize in person!"
Luo Chengzhi didn't think much of it. He needed to continue his studies. He couldn't let his third brother down when he came next time!
Upon returning to the manor, Yun Que brought someone to Qin Jinzhi.
"You're saying that the guards of that house entered through the back gate of the Li residence, and Li Chao, disguised, followed the guards into the house?"
Qin Jinzhi frowned, which meant that Li Chao knew about Li Mi's affair.
The master the maid mentioned was not Li Mi, but Li Chao!
Why is Li Chao so concerned about this woman? Could it be because of the child in her womb?
Qin Jinzhi tapped the table lightly with her fingertip, "Is Li Mi married?"
The person keeping watch shook his head. "Li Mi is Minister Li's youngest son, and he is not married."
Is Li Chao worried about his son's only descendant?
That makes sense, but something just feels off.
A scene suddenly flashed through Qin Jinzhi's mind.
She said to the person keeping watch, "Keep watching, and report back if anything happens."
"Yes, Princess!"
Qin Jinzhi stood up and said to Yun Que, "Yun Que, come with me to the Li residence again!"
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